What did you do to your NB today? [Archive]

MX-5 Miata Forum > NA/NB (1990-2005) Miata > NB (1999-2005) General discussion > What did you do to your NB today?

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evil MS3

24th June 2020, 08:24

Picked up some Mazda competition motor mount bushings from Mazda Motorsports for my buddy and me. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200624/2f969fa5ce361284e93f4df7012cd47a.jpg

petee_c

24th June 2020, 09:13

This week's finished projects.

Diff to axle seal on passenger side was leaking. Replaced with skf branded part. That took a week or so because parts store got the wrong part in. The didn't find out until the car was in the air and the axle was out.

Lucas 75w90 in the diff.

Replaced rubber shifter boot and turret boot on the stick shift, and added sound insulation and heat insulation with multiple layers of craft felt.

Napa branded 75w90 in shift turret.

6079smithw

24th June 2020, 11:56

Well, I was going to swap out the raggedy liner and carpet in
the trunk with a pristine set I scored from the boneyard. However, I decided
to sleep in this morning and awoke to discover the NB was missing from the
driveway along with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed and our oldest daughter who
is visiting. No doubt that's last I'll see of them for the rest of the day...

Guess I can finish painting the lawn chairs or something....:confused:

sholzy

24th June 2020, 19:28

Guess I can finish painting the lawn chairs or something....:confused:

:eek:

They're out having fun in the NB while you get stuck painting lawn chairs!

Kmier

24th June 2020, 19:59

Well, I was going to swap out the raggedy liner and carpet in

the trunk with a pristine set I scored from the boneyard. However, I decided

to sleep in this morning and awoke to discover the NB was missing from the

driveway along with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed and our oldest daughter who

is visiting. No doubt that's last I'll see of them for the rest of the day...

Guess I can finish painting the lawn chairs or something....:confused:

At least while they are out doing the shop til you drop thing they will be limited in cargo space! [emoji6]

Ted Crilly

25th June 2020, 00:58

Installed a Nardi wooden steering wheel, which I think goes along well with the Nardi wooden shifter I purchased a few months ago. Slowly my '99 NB1 base is transforming into a '01 SE.
Now, where did I put that rattle can green paint?

https://i.imgur.com/OFiwibAl.jpg

josolanes

25th June 2020, 10:25

Went to TN on vacation last week, here's my thread - starts at post 138 (through 140)

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=9854349

Lots of pictures :)

TL;DR: Had fun, did the dragon, car ran great, in-laws took it out and didn't pull the emergency brake up completely when parking it, car rolled off the end of their driveway, car still runs find and drove back (passing 40k miles), planning on repairing despite driver quarter panel dent :(

Gtrsnax

26th June 2020, 16:16

Just grabbed a 2000 last weekend. Love it!
Yesterday, I replaced the factory speakers with some 5.25" Kickers from Crutchfield. In and out under 30 mins \m/.
Today, nothing fancy at all, but I did what was needed to get it inspected, to PASS in the state of Delaware. High beam on the driver's side was out. Clearly, there'd been an overheating issue. The plug had evidence of melting! Replaced the driver's side rear parking light bulb, and finally, a simple lug nut was missing (eye roll). So, I passed inspection. Yay!

But on the list of things to do.... fix the droopy vents! Add a phone holder somewhere! Get some floor mats! Lube the window channels. I have the weird "Blue thingy" clicking clutch, so some electrical tape and quarter are in order, as I understand.
I'm shopping for a rear spoiler, and some cool graphics for the body. My car might become a full-on shark ;)

Jitsuka

26th June 2020, 16:37

Had fun, did the dragon, car ran great...
Sounds great! [emoji41]

...in-laws took it out and didn't pull the emergency brake up completely when parking it, car rolled off the end of their driveway, car still runs fine and drove back.
Sounds noticeably less great! [emoji2359] Did they offer to contribute to repairs, at least?

Side question, why do you guys call it the E brake and not the parking brake? [emoji848] It would be a bad day all round if you tried pulling on it to brake in case of an emergency: unexpected spinning as well as whatever else was already going wrong... [emoji15]

monkeylizard

26th June 2020, 17:57

fix the droopy vents!

Welcome to the club! Replace them with Jeep Commander vents. Super easy mod since they drop right in and they're WAY better. You can always return to stock vents if you want to.

miataman3

26th June 2020, 19:01

Had a guy put cobra style racing stripes. A 3M certified technician. He used knife less tape. None of his lines were straight. He eyeballed it. After he did the hood he asked me to take a look. WTH. Take it off.

So much for certified (he said) good to check references!

kilrbbbs

27th June 2020, 17:45

Tighten up battery mount. Batter was shifting and mounting bracket was hitting + terminal causing short while making hard turns and going over bumps. All fixed now.

Jesse1999

27th June 2020, 17:57

I'd say >80% of Americans don't use the parking brake at all as there are far too many automatic transmissions and ignorant drivers. The transmission gears will hold the car unless you live in a hilly/mountainous area so my guess is it's due to laziness that so many refer to it as an emergency brake. It's there only for emergencies, right? :rolleyes:

Those old style foot pedals where you push to set and push to release would SUCK in an emergency situation when you've lost hydraulic brakes. Most don't understand you can manually downshift a car, even automatics. Then they have to overcome the panic to remember they can downshift or should have done so before the decent to avoid cooking the brakes. Again, ignorance! Manual lever parking brakes are again rarely used so most don't seem to understand you can hold the release button and control how much braking occurs to avoid tire lockup.

My 2016 Mazda 6 was the first year Mazda switched to the electric P-brake. If you pull the lever up once at speed, it'll pulse the rear brakes once. You can do this multiple times with short pauses and it'll always release. I seem to remember reading in the manual that if you pull the lever multiple times back to back that the brake WILL lock up...or maybe I'm thinking of the engine start/stop button. :D

Funny story, my younger brother never learned to drive manual transmission and drove a few automatic cars before I taught him. His first new car was a manual Honda Civic (2006?) and one day he went into the grocery store across the border in Juarez where he worked. He won't admit or doesn't remember what happened but when he came out the car wasn't where he left it so his first thought was it had been stolen. Thankfully it had coasted across the lot and only stopped when it hit something. He replaced some bumper clips and touched up the paint but it never was quite the same. After that he always used his parking brake.

Jitsuka

27th June 2020, 18:01

A fulsome and funny reply; thank you! [emoji23]

bellamia

27th June 2020, 19:18

Lubed sway bar bushings and cleaned up underneath

josolanes

28th June 2020, 08:10

Sounds great! [emoji41]

Sounds noticeably less great! [emoji2359] Did they offer to contribute to repairs, at least?

Ha I honestly couldn't tell you. Even in flat florida we use it religiously as, you're right, really a parking brake. I was always taught it was the emergency brake despite it's parking brake use, not sure why

To be clear the *parking* brake was pulled some and the car was in 1st (they always park in gear, me not so much) but the parking brake wasn't pulled high enough. It rolled about 10 minutes later. It also wasn't a parking brake failure as it worked right after coming back up

JohnPatrick

28th June 2020, 10:50

Clay barred and applied a ceramic coating, and fixed the cloudy headlights using the 3M kit.
337211
I hand sanded with 1500 and 2000 grit between the 800 disc and the 'magic' disc, which is I think around 3000 grit.
337210
Got a good workout in the process! Am enjoying this beautiful car.

Swordknives

28th June 2020, 14:20

Took off my Guardian designs steering wheel, Anvil 2 shift knob, and seat belt extenders to sell. then I Washed washed/waxed it. I'm getting ready to sell my beloved NB as I'm looking at a ND to replace it.

Terminator03

29th June 2020, 08:16

Looks incredible. Great job.:thumbs:

PatrickGSR94

29th June 2020, 08:51

FINALLY finished up the Bosectomy with my new 3rd Millenium M800 speakers, with baffles and their AD1 mounting kit. Everything went in and fit excellent. I had purchased a used Bose amp off eBay awhile back for around $20, for the sole purpose of pilfering the wire harness to make a bypass for the speakers. The sound is sooo much better its unreal! And now my head unit volume is around a normal 26-30 level, out of a possible 62. With the old (double amplified) Bose speakers, it was loud and distorted at only around 12-14 on the head unit.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200629/3981ad6223a15d7a390553111c288b33.jpg

Clevermoose

29th June 2020, 10:29

Zeta CRD Coilover Install :)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/il4ppTR8eohmsrZjQRmaSpwOm621KrOK02jLCi1BPIW2CanN_u _ne-NnlAw7LyTe3UpjFIvwLXFFZiQNPu3RswWK2dX_wUJvDLGAesIQ rdfx-uIB4jYV1XudpvEQtRWWQaFEnoW7YezvmTPlp91RZi3fpXnZcnn s3ZwK_Edcf71wlShN93lPZdbqMnPIFe0oIAZZg5QmR8XlijMx_ 9X6GjzEKgbI163LTJeWToVy9S6gUe6kJG5GL0Oy6kNwypcXr8b 09g_rSiFBoU22_DGegDhCfq_JX6uf*ckX_TorBEynI-NuPfbLs_JeI4s6RBmG5uKk2erzY0BSIAzqQgx0j6Y5ezshEipp N7bZmMNRfNTtLZaxsTgzpSSLhVZp7jeSnN6ISveG4WCPfRFFP1 EcCylgW-mXkGgdjGWIlyPzM-FnGJ4z0F-P4-H-2izl1HVrhO0h-UL5Q9tMAIRPpYFcwPPSf0kFrdH49eNyJhHij5CT0Ad0ytiZLP3 HM0UpGPXwhxJuJ1hLwE9aoaiOkjh0CzeCa94Rcshx7yj2hp68F 2NSnG1WBjcn0PSd-G7Z68Yt3dmlFB_sDHrJMCrmwy369A7hBjcZEx3Tjq2NUA0LdJE Gl9TNTygp0ZsLD8_TOBDDzho1gOPKaw2l124FiqZs170g_uJhz kvTNUDBQQtgcgrPQPjJQtoDzlmhfuQhxIA=w733-h977-no?authuser=0

mm49061

29th June 2020, 17:05

Installed a OEM windblocker with 3rd Millennium M200 speakers in my 2000.

miataman3

29th June 2020, 19:23

Installed a OEM windblocker with 3rd Millennium M200 speakers in my 2000.

How did you wire up to the amp/ head unit? Hows the sound?
Worth the effort/cost?

Ive thought of adding a sound enabled wind blocker for a while, on my 01.
Ive seen them on the used market a few times, for reasonable $.
Ive not been disappointed with the Bose sound, as many indicate here, maybe my hearing is a bit challenged.. but thought it might be a nice enhancement.
I did update the 01 HU for a 02 6 cd changer unit ( for convenience and stock look) when I bought the car about 4 years ago. I think there may be connections in back of the 02 HU, but not sure.
Any thoughts are appreciated.

mm49061

29th June 2020, 19:36

How did you wire up to the amp/ head unit? Hows the sound?
Worth the effort/cost?

Bought mine for $20 a few years back and spent $70 on the speakers. It has some scuffs on it but nothing bad. I have a Blaupunkt aftermarket head unit and bypassed the wiring in the windblocker and wired directly to the speakers. I had a pair of 6x9 Pioneer speakers lying on the rear deck and these are so much better. I think because they are higher the sound is much better (at least to me). I should have done this long ago but never got around to it.

kilrbbbs

29th June 2020, 21:00

Pulled downstream 02 sensor and confirmed its RIP....P0140

Geezer000

30th June 2020, 12:58

Replaced the stock BOSE paper tweeter with a 3/4 inch soft dome. Use same value capacitor and retrofitted it to the stock mount. Sounds much cleaner. I'm still using the BOSE 8" woofer.

337357

337358

337360

iambjx

30th June 2020, 13:13

My nb1 has developed this squeky noise from what looks like on the rear, any suggestions on what to check? I can't seem to pin point where is it coming from.

I've checked, trunk latch, swaybbar end link, shocks and struts, struts mounts...

sholzy

30th June 2020, 19:37

My nb1 has developed this squeky noise from what looks like on the rear, any suggestions on what to check? I can't seem to pin point where is it coming from.

I've checked, trunk latch, swaybbar end link, shocks and struts, struts mounts...

Did you grease the sway bar bushings?

JohnPatrick

1st July 2020, 07:07

Replaced the stock BOSE paper tweeter with a 3/4 inch soft dome. Use same value capacitor and retrofitted it to the stock mount. Sounds much cleaner. I'm still using the BOSE 8" woofer.

337357

337358

337360

Hi - can you say which speaker you used, where you got it from? As a fairly new NB1 owner I'm still trying to figure out the Bose issues but it looks like replacing the tweeter along the lines of what you did makes sense in any case. I need to replace the speakers behind the seats as well, but that's for another day.

iambjx

1st July 2020, 08:04

Did you grease the sway bar bushings?I have not, how do I go about doing that? Sorry I'm still learning here

Geezer000

1st July 2020, 10:48

Any regular depth car tweeter will fit in the hole if its less than 2 inches wide with a custom bracket. The very deep "super" tweeters won't without cutting the door steel. I built the bracket myself out of thin aluminum and I also wired it directly to the stock speaker wires with the existing connector.

sholzy

1st July 2020, 18:58

I have not, how do I go about doing that? Sorry I'm still learning here

Jack up both sides. Remove the brackets, remove the bushings, grease either inside of bushings or the swab bar, and reinstall.

wee_dod

1st July 2020, 21:06

Installed some used Fab9 COPs bought from JonK67 on here.

Install was pretty easy. Need to clean my engine bay up a bit at some point.

PatrickGSR94

1st July 2020, 21:54

Jack up both sides. Remove the brackets, remove the bushings, grease either inside of bushings or the swab bar, and reinstall.

odd, OE rubber sway bar bushings shouldn't need to be greased. If they squeak they probably need to be replaced. Polyurethane, of course, needs regular greasing to prevent noise.

Warhammer

2nd July 2020, 00:01

I backed it out of the garage to do some work on my truck. While I had the front wheels off the truck I put them in the driveway as well. I had to snap a couple of pics of my OEM 20" truck wheel next to my lowered Miata. The Miata looks like a 1/3 scale model, lol!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50066834863_6c5e070f94_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jheBGK)IMG_20200701_194055 (https://flic.kr/p/2jheBGK) by Rex Keely (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156683230@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50066835133_2d5acfa765_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jheBMp)IMG_20200701_194059 (https://flic.kr/p/2jheBMp) by Rex Keely (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156683230@N04/), on Flickr

JohnPatrick

2nd July 2020, 09:59

Replaced the interior light and the side winkers with LEDs on my 2000 SE - I used amber for the sides. The previous owner made all four blink with the turn signals, for which I'm grateful, so installing the LEDs was a snap and they didn't cost much. MAJOR difference in brightness, which is what I wanted, living near the DC-area with more than its share of awful drivers who seem to consider a Miata as a mosquito to be swatted. I don't have a great picture to show the difference in brightness, but here it is at 10am with the lights on (and a new ceramic coating and now-clear headlights).

337496

MiataBee

2nd July 2020, 11:39

Yesterday I installed a VDO 360-009 oil pressure sender in my 10AE. Even with the damped movement of the gauge, it works very well. I need to move the needle so that its at 30 PSI when idling. Ill do that when I install my low oil pressure indicator from Revlimiter. Right now, Im hoping USPS hasnt lost my package.

kirby

2nd July 2020, 20:00

Fixed the A/C, replaced the wiring and relays and loaded it with tons of R134A, sweet. :D

Sanded the headlights, they shiny and clear now!

Now I gotta figure out what to do with the tear in the top

jmr

2nd July 2020, 22:32

Lotus seats! Cloth, probax, Flipside brackets.

only1db

2nd July 2020, 23:33

I did some fab9 delrin door bushings and i ordered my harddog sport double diagonal.

The delrin bushings on all stock car is very noticeable. More solid, no more crashing when going over big bumps, the front window doesnt seem to move nearly as much either.

kirby

3rd July 2020, 13:13

https://i.imgur.com/jRMdpLm.png

Sounds like the heat shield rattles, but only from outside, not from the cabin, so who cares, right, lol.

Tac1

4th July 2020, 10:02

Just did a radiator swap, plugs, wires, intake and cobalt axle back muffler swap on my '99 that just clocked 53K on the odometer.

JonK67

4th July 2020, 11:25

Installed some used Fab9 COPs bought from JonK67 on here.

Install was pretty easy. Need to clean my engine bay up a bit at some point.

Glad they worked well for you, from an FFS car to an FFS car! I always wanted to make an aluminum valley cover to hide the coils since they're so much lower profile than the stock ones.

orange260z

4th July 2020, 12:04

In the last two weeks

(1) Replaced driver's side front hub. I had to find out the hard way that there are part cross-reference issues across different brands. The first hub (Mevotech) had the wrong ABS tone ring in the wrong place, the second (Ultra) had the "right" ABS tone ring in the right place but was slightly oversized, and actually meshed with the sensor. Ended up having a buddy machine a seat for the tone ring pried off my original hub on the Mevotech.

(2) Resolved a Bose stereo issue that turned out to be blown channel in the Scosche aftermarket-to-Bose converter. Solution was to route the right front channel through one of the (unused) rear channels on the converter, problem solved. But getting to this point required many hours of troubleshooting to determine where the fault actually was.

(3) Polished out my yellow, hazy headlights. I used the 3M kit with an adapter and sanding discs for my cordless drill - this worked great and removed all the defects. For the polishing, I used Megs UC and my DA polisher, and topped with two coats of Jet Seal.

(4) Replaced my basic 9003 dim bulbs with an LED kit. It works, but I haven't had time to adjust/test in the dark.

(5) Finally changed my valve cover gasket. It's had a slow leak at the back since I bought the car in 2018 - annoying really only when the top is up, which is rarely. Overall it went well, other than fighting with the two bolts holding the coil pack bracket to the VGC. Didn't seem to leak during a ~30km shakedown run, hopefully all is good.

Still to do in the coming weeks:
(1) remove and clean seats, remove and clean rear deck carpet, clean out drain tubes
(2) shifter rebuild - ordered all of the bushings, boots, and a new leather shift & handbrake boot set. Will also replace the turret oil, which I didn't do when replacing all other fluids in 2018.
(3) paint correction redux - I did this in 2018 after buying the car, and it greatly improved the shine... but I will go over it again, with more aggressive pads/products this time to hopefully take out more scratches.

orange260z

4th July 2020, 12:25

Looks great, same thing I just did! Love the mahogany!!! :wave:

orange260z

4th July 2020, 13:53

Ive not been disappointed with the Bose sound, as many indicate here, maybe my hearing is a bit challenged.. but thought it might be a nice enhancement.

I'd consider myself to be an "audio enthusiast" (in contrast to an "audiophile") but I'm usually picky about sound. (Unfortunately) I have Bose audio in all three of my cars right now! In honesty, I find some applications are better than others.

I hated the Bose audio in our Suburban, but the one in my Cadillac is actually pretty decent - my biggest issue is that it lacks deep bass. The highs and mids are actually pretty good with very minimal tweaking. I have no thoughts nor intention of replacing this.

In the Carrera coupe, the Bose sounded HORRIBLE in the basic settings. With some careful tweaking of the highs, lows and balance, I have it sounding decent. It lacks deep bass, at least at any volume level with windows open. Unfortunately, replacement is not an option as the head unit is integrated into the car's main computer system. I may be able to upgrade the subwoofer driver and amplifier at some point.

Cars are a poor audio environment to begin with, and a convertible much worse - you can spend a lot of money and effort for weak results. I had upgraded my previous 1992 Miata with Clearwater door and headrest speakers. I upgraded the Harmon/Kardon system in my e46 convertible with the BavSound speaker and subwoofer system. These upgrades gave adequate, but not great, audio.

In my current 1999 Miata, I have replaced the head unit (my stock one failed) with a cheap JVC mechless, and used the Crutchfield-recommended Scosche converter to integrate with the Bose amp and door speakers.

Overall, I find that the NB Bose is quite adequate - it has reasonably good bass due to the large 8" door drivers, and the highs aren't horrible due to the angled tweeters. There is a surprising amount of power - the system can produce clear, loud music even at top & window down highway speeds.

I've looked into a full Bose-ectomy, and in the end have decided that it is unlikely that I will get noticeably better sound in the car without spending lots of time and money, and maybe still be unsuccessful.

OH3Cobra

4th July 2020, 17:19

Lotus seats! Cloth, probax, Flipside brackets.

What did those set you back?

new_clear_winter

5th July 2020, 02:38

Bought a 2000 SE Mahogany Mica 6 speed manual last week. For 4th of July weekend went ahead and did an oil change, cooling system flush, and new spark plugs :).

Planning on transmission fluid/diff fluid replacement for next week. Then we'll see where it goes!

Daezara

5th July 2020, 04:30

Fitted Toyota 4age silvertop ITB's :)

https://i.imgur.com/b0Bh9vc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/P4N8Sw1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vAjgHOk.jpg

Had to fit a catch can as there is no PCV on the Toyota intake anymore.
https://i.imgur.com/QOowQrN.jpg

Car is off at management as the moment, should get it back this coming week. :)

robhoy

5th July 2020, 16:49

Replaced the spark plugs. First time I've ever done that! It made a small but noticeable difference; the idle is definitely smoother :)

Yesterday I --tried-- to replace my door trim panels, only to find that the ones I bought were for the NB2 and don't fit :( Oops!

jmr

5th July 2020, 22:56

What did those set you back?

$900 for the seats, shipped... and $360 for the brackets.

I looked at a lot of seat options before going this way ... NB2 seats (+ covers or recovering, maybe); corbeau LE, corbeau A4 or similar (too high, and not inexpensive...). Happy with the result!

amalloy

6th July 2020, 08:49

Lotus seats! Cloth, probax, Flipside brackets.

Looks so good! I'm jealous.

PatrickGSR94

6th July 2020, 09:00

Fixed the A/C, replaced the wiring and relays and loaded it with tons of R134A, sweet. :D

Sanded the headlights, they shiny and clear now!

Now I gotta figure out what to do with the tear in the top

Hopefully you have the correct charge of ~21 ounces or 600 grams of R134a refrigerant. Too much can cause damage to the components.

JohnPatrick

6th July 2020, 12:59

Bought a 2000 SE Mahogany Mica 6 speed manual last week. For 4th of July weekend went ahead and did an oil change, cooling system flush, and new spark plugs :).

Planning on transmission fluid/diff fluid replacement for next week. Then we'll see where it goes!

Congratulations on buying such a beautiful car! How many miles and what kind of condition?

JohnPatrick

6th July 2020, 13:08

I really appreciated your post. My father used to build amp and speaker kits and I learned a lot, including that so much of the sound depends on the surrounding room or car. One question I have is, did you line the doors with any sound-deadening material and did it make a difference? I'm a relatively new 2000 SE owner and still trying to figure out the Bose situation - previous owner replaced the in-dash unit with a newer Kenwood receiver but says the speakers are still all original Bose - but now there are also speakers behind the seats, which I don't think were an original option so he must have put them in. At any rate, I'm okay with the sound but would like it to be a little better without having to go to a lot of work, so I'm thinking about the door sound-deadening material and possibly replacing the 20-year-old speakers. One of the miata sites, maybe clearwater, sells a total speaker replacement (minus the ones behind the seats) but it's expensive. Any advice?

miataman3

6th July 2020, 16:20

I did the sound-dampening in the doors with the Bose set up. Cant say it did much for the music/ sound quality really, (I did not spend a bunch on the econo sound material) hard to tell with the top down all the time... but it does make the doors sound less tinny and more solid when opening or closing.
For what its worth- not a bad touch up.

PatrickGSR94

6th July 2020, 22:27

My car had an aftermarket Pioneer digital head unit when I got it, but still the original Bose amp and speakers. Sound quality was absolutely horrible, probably mostly from being "double amplified". I just recently replaced the door speakers with 3rd Millenium M800 speakers with their install kit and baffles, and the sound is massively improved.

FDB7

7th July 2020, 00:22

337842

I did this a few days ago but I installed my $230 Hard Dog M2 Sport and my $20 seats! I couldnt be happier!

bellamia

7th July 2020, 18:20

Still locked down, so painted the airbox. Running out of projects.....

2002tiitomx5

8th July 2020, 08:30

First time changing oil and filter after installing the Thompson oil filter relocation kit a year or so ago. I can report that no oil was spilled on filter removal. Also no lost skin from knuckles and arms which was typical when removing and installing filters in the OEM location.

cphilippou

8th July 2020, 08:37

Finished my off-road Miata build

https://i.imgur.com/2C4iydp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H4TfqPz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WuCVLRL.jpg

cduplain

8th July 2020, 08:56

^^
Love this!

JohnPatrick

8th July 2020, 09:10

Thanks for the post! I checked out their site and I think I'll go for it! I don't know yet what exactly the situation is in my 2000 SE, i.e., whether the Bose amp is bypassed, etc., but since the previous owner says the speakers are original, my guess is that the head unit feeds the speakers through the Bose amp and feeds the speakers behind the seats directly. At any rate, it sounds, from your experience, that the M800 speakers will work well for me.

monkeylizard

8th July 2020, 11:05

Finished my off-road Miata build

You should stick a Jeep "Trail Rated" medallion on it. :D

new_clear_winter

8th July 2020, 17:48

Congratulations on buying such a beautiful car! How many miles and what kind of condition?

Only 37.5K miles, was sitting in a garage for years...husband bought it for his wife who didn't like stick shift....lucky me!

Interior is in great condition. Exterior is 90% with some door dings here and there and some road rash on the lower front bumper. But otherwise paint looks good.

Not a speck of oil in the engine bay, and only minor surface rust here and there.

Was driving great until I replaced the plugs, and now I'm getting weird acceleration issues. I can put the accelerator to the floor at 3000RPM in 4th gear on flat road and nothing happens...as if I'm giving it gradual gas. So that is my current obsession :ohno:

PatrickGSR94

8th July 2020, 19:52

What's your head unit situation? On mine the volume goes from 0 to 62, and after about 12 or 13 the sound was really loud and distorted. Especially on voice/talk podcasts. That's because it was getting "double" amplified. And apparently it's also not a good idea to bypass the Bose amp to try to amplify the stock 0.5 ohm Bose speakers with a 4-ohm output (likely too much power). But you also don't want to run aftermarket speakers with only the Bose amp (not enough power).

In addition to my speakers I also bought a used Bose amp for $20 off eBay, for the sole purpose of using the harness plug to make a bypass to plug into the dash harness. The speaker wires from the head unit go into the Bose amp, then come back out again (through the same plug), and out to the doors. You don't necessarily have to get a spare harness plug to make a speaker wire bypass, but it makes the job a ton easier. If you could get your old Bose amp out of there, you could just use that. But most people just leave it since the dash needs to come out to get the amp out.

FDB7

9th July 2020, 00:52

Finished my off-road Miata build

https://i.imgur.com/2C4iydp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H4TfqPz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WuCVLRL.jpg

Daaaaamn that looks insane! I love it!

Isabel

9th July 2020, 12:17

Finished my off-road Miata buildNot quite done, it still needs mud. The tires are too clean.

MiataBee

9th July 2020, 16:27

I recently moved my phone holder from the windshield to the center of the dash using ProClip. This is advantageous in several ways. The vent can blow on the phone and being out of the sun keeps it from getting as hot, so it charges faster. I can now cover my entire dash with a sun shade. And the ProClip mount feels more solid than my windshield mount. I also wired a switch so that I can turn off the usb power adapter that provides power to the USB plug and the wireless charger.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200709/beba02291c92fd3529eca6932abe7679.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200709/431758f33184fbc9676d319728e38324.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200709/b65cec4e722b5281a88b95358341098d.jpg

Kmier

9th July 2020, 20:08

Still locked down, so painted the airbox. Running out of projects.....

I have to say, thats about the loveliest looking engine bay Ive seen in a while!

amalloy

10th July 2020, 07:37

Finished my off-road Miata build

https://i.imgur.com/2C4iydp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H4TfqPz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WuCVLRL.jpg

I just came across this for sale on FB marketplace.... what happened? Very cool build.

2002tiitomx5

10th July 2020, 08:04

The way the photos are taken it looks like a scale model not a real size Miata.

cphilippou

10th July 2020, 08:21

I just came across this for sale on FB marketplace.... what happened? Very cool build.

Nothing happened, but my dog training business took off a lot quicker than I was expecting and I need a work van, like a Promaster. This would certainly help put a nice down payment for one.

NoCarrier

10th July 2020, 12:13

Where did the get the carbon fiber look trim pieces? or are they wrapped? are the vent rings painted?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200709/b65cec4e722b5281a88b95358341098d.jpg

MiataBee

10th July 2020, 12:39

Where did the get the carbon fiber look trim pieces? or are they wrapped? are the vent rings painted?

Carbon fiber trim is included on the 10AE. The vent rings are painted aluminum rings that I purchased on eBay. Theyre stuck on with double sided tape.

MiataBee

10th July 2020, 18:55

I treated my top with 303 Fabric Guard. Not sure how it turned out yet. I tried using a foam brush and a cup but I felt like I would run out before I finished the top. I decided to spray the top and then use the foam brush to spread it some. I hope the fine mist didnt get on my cars.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200710/3d0d81ecbf5ac5c44b7e12c94a2b4ddb.jpg

944play

10th July 2020, 20:15

I tried using a foam brush and a cup but I felt like I would run out before I finished the top. I decided to spray the top and then use the foam brush to spread it some.

I use a mini paint roller and squirt the 303 from the bottle right onto the nap.

robhoy

10th July 2020, 21:04

Replaced my interior door trim panels! The old ones had seen better days, so the car looks much newer now :)

Stargazer MX-5

11th July 2020, 00:29

New top! Robbins canvas streamline top with zipperless defroster window.

Technically this happened a few days ago, but I've been spending a substantial amount of time trying to get an old motorcycle running. That motorcycle, a 1972 Honda CL450, can be seen in the background. We started it on fire, but she runs, and now I'm off topic.

Hopefully I'll be able to report a successful adjustable timing disc install soon, but that's a fight I really gotta prepare for. Bit more corrosion than I had anticipated the last time I set out. Also going to pick a day without a thunderstorm...

ruko

11th July 2020, 03:38

Did oil on her and the rear pads, for the first time! Was my first time doing a brake job, used some decent centrics and while I'm a little worried about rotor dragging and the W clips, I think I did pretty well! Bled the brakes good too, some Castrol dot 4 stuff did the job.

UncleJ

11th July 2020, 12:50

More Flex Seal on the pin holes, added a little oil between changes, poked the drain holes.

petee_c

11th July 2020, 21:26

Tranny fluid change. Used redline mt90.

Gravity method. 2 quarts was just about perfect.

Shifted fine before the change. Might shift a touch better after.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200712/def655d9369d8ea1971cf62d981fc8f7.jpg

JohnPatrick

12th July 2020, 08:11

The truth is, I don't know without taking out the radio. I think I have a shifter rebuild coming up and may take the radio out at the same time. Like you, my volume goes up fairly quickly but the distortion isn't bad at all, just too loud. The original Bose speakers are in the doors, however. And there are two speakers mounted behind the seats, which must be connected to the head unit. I did purchase the M800 speakers and am eager to put them in and see how it goes. At any rate, I bet my head unit attaches to the Bose amp. For the heck of it, I'm going to call Crutchfield and ask if their install instructions for the new version of my head unit (Kenwood) tell you to connect or not to the amp.

Ennis

12th July 2020, 09:43

Paint correction, ceramic and wheels refinished. Looks pretty good for a 17 year-old car.

SquarePeg

12th July 2020, 10:45

Paint correction, ceramic and wheels refinished. Looks pretty good for a 17 year-old car.

It does.:cool:

Jitsuka

12th July 2020, 12:22

Paint correction, ceramic and wheels refinished. Looks pretty good for a 17 year-old car.Hell, that's a good look for a two year old car. [emoji41]

sholzy

12th July 2020, 19:09

When my NB came home on a tow truck for the last time in mid-March I put it on the wrong side of the driveway and disconnected both battery cables. That's where it's been sitting for the past 4 months until today.

Started up the NB for the first time since mid-March to put it on the other side of the driveway so I can do maintenance on the NC. Hooked up both cables on the battery and could hear it come out of it's coma! Jumped in the driver's seat, put the key in the ignition expecting I would need a boost from my jump pack. Turned the key and it fired right up! No hesitation. No grumbling. No need for the jump pack. :jump: The sound of the RS4 muffler was music to my ears. The money pit has refused to die! :rofl:

PatrickGSR94

12th July 2020, 22:35

Finally got around to swapping out my driver side soft top seals with the ILM seals. I still think they look a bit wonky on the inner side, but I fooled around with the inner seal retainer lip as much as I could. Time will tell the next time I wash it or it gets caught in a rain shower at work.

Ted Crilly

13th July 2020, 11:51

Even if you havent tested them in a rain shower, do the new seals appear to form a better contact with the glass? I would be curious to know how they perform under sustained rainfall. I replaced my seals with a better set salvaged from a junk yard, but still a small amount of water will leak in when washing the car. In my never ending quest to improve this car, new seals might be on my radar soon.

Ted Crilly

13th July 2020, 12:13

On Saturday I installed FM frame rails and butterfly brace. Not a particularly difficult job, but crawling under the car, getting up and repeating many many times, was tiring. Taller jack stands so I could use a creeper might have helped.

Anyway, the rails went in, the butterfly braces aligned fine, but the front brace was interfering with the exhaust, (see pic below). Has anyone else who installed this kit on a 99 NB1 had this problem? I added approx 5mm of spacers to each of the brace mounting points so there is now clearance between the brace and exhaust, but this means the brace is sitting 5mm lower than it should and risks catching something on the road. FM instructions suggest interference at the front brace could be due to worn engine mounts, but I previously thought mine fine, (no excessive engine movement when starting). I will probably change the engine mounts soon to see if this helps.

https://i.imgur.com/SxrKwJ1l.jpg

6079smithw

13th July 2020, 12:52

Replaced the OE alternator yesterday after a brush holder disintegrated.

Other posters here have mentioned removing the intake manifold brace first
saves a carload of grief. This is 100% true! The dreaded bottom pivot
bolt was accessible from the top with a 14mm 12" offset box-end after
disconnecting the B+ and regulator leads.

I cleaned all the hardware on a wire wheel and put a little GP grease on the
bolt threads before reassembling; plenty of dirt and surface rust after 21 years!

Set the belt tension, connected the battery and fired it up; 14.28-14.61 volts
at 800 RPM with all lights on and heater blower full speed.

PatrickGSR94

13th July 2020, 13:03

Even if you haven’t tested them in a rain shower, do the new seals appear to form a better contact with the glass? I would be curious to know how they perform under sustained rainfall. I replaced my seals with a better set salvaged from a junk yard, but still a small amount of water will leak in when washing the car. In my never ending quest to improve this car, new seals might be on my radar soon.

For the glass contact I'm not totally sure of that just yet, but the rubber pieces themselves appear to be making pretty good contact with each other.

Still, I don't care for how the top and seals themselves are designed. Water surface tension appears to draw water up under the sewn edge of the top, so that water droplets run down and then sit against the rubber at the top edge of the glass. And then any water right there at that top/middle seal joint especially, will eventually just migrate through and drip onto the seats. Perhaps it won't be enough to worry about. But it does make me wish for a newer car where the seals have a channel for the glass to go up into, and the power window drops/raises the glass a bit when the door is opened/closed. Seems like a much better design to keep water from migrating in between the seals.

96Formula6spd

13th July 2020, 21:59

Working on getting the miata back into track ready condition. Ordered poly bushings as well as extended lower ball joints. Now working on getting a high flow cat into the car as well since the original is throwing efficiency codes and the car actually feels down on power. Also time to replace the driver side axle with a used unit as the boot is torn from dry rot. Hoping it comes out as the wheel bearing in the rear sounds like its needing replacement. The only original wheel bearing on the car. So going to try to knock all of that out before August 15th weekend to run some Nccar. Then its save some more for the new shocks before Daytona in October.

Zulu1

14th July 2020, 09:54

Wife has been bugging me for a year to install an Android Auto head unit in my 2000 NB, so yesterday I ordered a JVC KW-M560BT, with Polk Audio speakers. Today I pulled the OEM radio and cubby to get ready!!

I'll keep the original radio so it can be replaced..

udonzilla

14th July 2020, 12:06

On Saturday I installed FM frame rails and butterfly brace....

Hey, I installed the Frame Rails/Butterfly V1 on my 99 Miata. The Butterfly is different and had a vertical adjustment to it but I ran into a similar situation where the midpipe would hit the butter fly and cause a rattle. After a few drives, it sorted itself out and no longer became an issue. I hope you find a solution to your problem.

Don

amalloy

14th July 2020, 12:38

I've just spent most of the morning trying to decide what my last mod of the year should be. Header & midpipe, or new seats.

petee_c

14th July 2020, 13:11

Wiped down my miata with quick detailer made from ONR to get rid of some dust and rainspots

Its still barely a 5 foot car....

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/36b81fb02b2d73506437f6e895d02a94.jpg

PatrickGSR94

14th July 2020, 13:57

Quick wash last night with just the hose, instead of the pressure washer and foam cannon.

Happy to say that the new ILM door seals do seem to be working better than the old seals. The driver side was dry on the inside after washing, and the passenger side was only a tiny bit wet with a drip of water on the seat, but I think that may be due to my triangle window/door seals that need to be replaced.

NeverEnough

14th July 2020, 16:30

Put on the fender stripe & removed that front splitter you see.338470

turboedpickup

14th July 2020, 17:16

Anyway, the rails went in, the butterfly braces aligned fine, but the front brace was interfering with the exhaust, (see pic below). Has anyone else who installed this kit on a ‘99 NB1 had this problem? I added approx 5mm of spacers to each of the brace mounting points so there is now clearance between the brace and exhaust, but this means the brace is sitting 5mm lower than it should and risks catching something on the road. FM instructions suggest interference at the front brace could be due to worn engine mounts, but I previously thought mine fine, (no excessive engine movement when starting). I will probably change the engine mounts soon to see if this helps.

I replaced my motormounts - movement was reduced significantly, but more importantly the original mounts had substantial amount of compression set. After replacing, the engine "lifted" about 1/2". I'd imagine it would help your situation. Get the MS mounts.

Ted Crilly

14th July 2020, 19:13

Get the MS mounts.

Thanks, but what are MS mounts? I have no desire to put competition or stiffer mounts in, (anything other than stock mounts), if they would increase NVH, even with the the benefit of improved handling. I was planning on ordering these stock mounts from Flyin Miata.
https://www.flyinmiata.com/oem-motor-mount.html

Ted Crilly

14th July 2020, 19:16

Don

Interesting that the problem went away for you. Maybe the exhaust welded itself to the brace :)

I have a solution that works for now, (the 5mm of spacers), I’m just not sure it is a wise solution considering I have increased the risk of the front brace catching something on the road. Having said that, the risk is probably less that the risk anyone who lowers their car takes.

FDB7

14th July 2020, 22:02

https://www.flyinmiata.com/oem-motor-mount.html

I think hes talking about the MazdaSpeed motor mounts. Theyre a little stiffer than stock IIRC.

monkeylizard

14th July 2020, 23:48

Yep. MS = Mazdaspeed. Basically competition mounts.

PatrickGSR94

15th July 2020, 11:02

I don't think they're actually "MazdaSpeed" branded mounts, but actually Mazda Competition engine mounts. They're only slightly stiffer than stock, and I noticed no change in NVH after installing them on my NB1.

JohnPatrick

15th July 2020, 11:45

Replaced the stock Bose door speakers with M800 speakers from 3rdstrategy.com. Installation wasn't too bad - I followed their advice and disconnected the stock tweeters. Sounds great! I'm not looking for incredible hi-fi, but wanted something better that the stock and this definitely did the trick.

Also washed the car for the first time after applying a ceramic coating - interesting. The water actually did form into droplets that rolled off the car. Earlier I was driving in a real downpour while the sun in the west was still bright, and the rain more or less did the same thing - lots of balls of water rolling off the front hood and up the windshield. Car was dry in minutes afterward.

944play

15th July 2020, 12:19

Not about to do the research to verify, sorry, but I think the MSM mounts are different from the Comp ones. IIRC, the MSM ones are reputed to be ~20% stiffer than conventional while Competition are ~40.

I did notice a sharp increase in vibration when I first installed Comp mounts several years ago, but they have worn in to the point where I couldn't say whether they feel any different now.

Kmier

15th July 2020, 12:44

Put on the fender stripe & removed that front splitter you see.338470

Great looking car, and Im glad you said you removed that snow-shovel splitter!

udonzilla

15th July 2020, 13:50

Interesting that the problem went away for you. Maybe the exhaust welded itself to the brace :)

The car is now substantially stiffer. :rofl:

MiataBee

15th July 2020, 23:53

Today I installed my low oil pressure warning light to work with the VDO 360-009 sender. I also modified the stock oil pressure gauge my replacing the 100 ohm resistor with a 180 ohm resistor. Seems like an improvement. Definitely happy with the light. Revlimiter was able to make it for me since my gauges dont need a corner CEL.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200716/c3636358baf40d881a4d04db1025f323.jpg

Lizardking0069

16th July 2020, 09:42

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200716/c3636358baf40d881a4d04db1025f323.jpg

Very nice gages!

Jitsuka

16th July 2020, 17:15

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200716/c3636358baf40d881a4d04db1025f323.jpgThose dials look fantastic! [emoji1786]

Buddy Fey

16th July 2020, 17:49

Today I installed my low oil pressure warning light to work with the VDO 360-009 sender. Definitely happy with the light. Revlimiter was able to make it for me since my gauges dont need a corner CEL.

What did you get from Revlimiter to set up the warning light? Other than the wire from the sender, what else did you need to add or get separately?

sina

16th July 2020, 21:31

I drained and replaced my transmission fluid and diff fluid. Was quite scary to raise and lower the car on 4 jackstands.

MiataBee

16th July 2020, 21:54

What did you get from Revlimiter to set up the warning light? Other than the wire from the sender, what else did you need to add or get separately?

I asked him for a custom oil pressure warning light in the right corner indicator location. He can also sell you a 74 socket and a 74 led bulb. Then youd need a ring terminal to connect one side of the light socket to the IGN screw and the other side connects to the wire that runs to the VDO 360-009. I used a spade connector so I can easily disconnect it to remove the cluster.

MiataBee

17th July 2020, 01:25

Thanks for the compliments on the gauges. Tonight I decided to test the oil gauge modification with some resistors to see how closely the needle matches the output from the VDO sender. Im pretty happy with the results. My needle could have been one more tick mark to the right, but otherwise, very usable. Ill attach pictures of the needle at about 10, 30, 60, and 80 PSI. I hope the order will be correct but I usually have an issue with picture order.

I also replaced the fuel filter. Not nearly as bad as expected. I did depressurize the system, but I still lost a little gas from the line while trying to get the other side of the filter off.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200717/dc24e986667594aa5a7b6f2cb3560cfe.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200717/550105e10f794bcbfde1b37c8674c408.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200717/43844c3bc6d46abe2727a6a1cbf70def.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200717/5d6fa85596f08c51638174f345f90699.jpg

Woodstudio

17th July 2020, 09:00

Put on the fender stripe & removed that front splitter you see.338470

Nice car. What are those wheels, they look sharp?

sharp3y3

17th July 2020, 14:45

Nice car. What are those wheels, they look sharp?

Look like 15x7 Advanti S1

new_clear_winter

18th July 2020, 07:06

I drained and replaced my transmission fluid and diff fluid. Was quite scary to raise and lower the car on 4 jackstands.

I just did my diff fluid yesterday, transmission fluid planned for today. Highly recommend secondary back up support, such as wood blocks/ramps under the tires, or even simply leaving your main jack under the car somewhere for some peace of mind.

cduplain

18th July 2020, 07:51

I drained and replaced my transmission fluid and diff fluid. Was quite scary to raise and lower the car on 4 jackstands.

A bit pricey...but I've been using these (https://www.raceramps.com/garage-service/cribs/p/RR-WC-8/) wheel cribs for about a year now. So nice to use and I feel so much safer underneath the car. I have seen people make their own wheel cribs out of heavy wood. These things weigh less than five pounds. One of my best car / tool purchases ever.

joe morreale

18th July 2020, 10:27

Reupholstered my passenger seat yesterday. Driver's seat on Monday.

StreetAndTrackToy

18th July 2020, 15:46

This is how my day is going. At least all three are out with no damage. Thank god.

MosGuy

18th July 2020, 17:39

Today I did the common vent mod and swapped the OEMs for some commanders. Using the gift card trick made it dead easy to get them out vs some of the older methods I've read over the years that risk damage. They certainly look good :thumbs:

jmr

18th July 2020, 22:39

Weekend three for the Boss Frog double hoop roll bar install... almost done! (Actually, a large part of today went to cleaning all the carpets with our bissell ... Seemed like maybe the first time in 20 years.)

new_clear_winter

18th July 2020, 23:03

Well folks, count me among the numbers that HIGHLY recommend the "unicorn tears" motorsport transmission fluid. Some say it takes a little time to work through, but I noticed an immediate improvement to shifter feel. Like butter!

Also got the sweet Moss Miata cupholders in the mail today that just slide right behind the dash plastic. No more hitting my elbow shifting into 6th when driving with some La Croix :rofl:

new_clear_winter

18th July 2020, 23:04

Officially on my wishlist, thanks for pointing this out.

Buddy Fey

18th July 2020, 23:31

MosGuy

19th July 2020, 02:08

What is the "gift card trick "?

Use a bendable card, stick it in and keep rotating. The two tabs will release and it'll work the vents out with no damage nor risk of chips to the dash. One of mine came out easy the other three need several turns but eventually popped free. Ah it seems someone posted a clip of the method here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZUrH4C7EL4

Buddy Fey

19th July 2020, 18:46

Ah it seems someone posted a clip of the method here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZUrH4C7EL4

Perfect! Thanks.

Terminator03

19th July 2020, 21:18

Thats really cool! Never saw that before, thanks for posting. Ive had the Eclipse vents for a couple of years now and never got around to installing them. Of course now the Commander ones are all the rage. :rolleyes:

MosGuy

19th July 2020, 22:08

No problem. I read of the tip, decided to give it a shot. Definitely easier than the older string pull method or a screw driver. I suspect commanders are popular now since they don't require any trimming to fit and can freely rotate 360 degrees. Just easier and slightly more versatile over the eclipse is all. Both are an improvement over stock, can't go wrong with either set :)

orange260z

20th July 2020, 08:48

HI PatrickGSR94, do you know if you had a Line Output Converter between the Pioneer and the Bose amp? This allows you to adjust the output of the aftermarket HU to the correct level to input into the Bose amp. Without it I can definitely see the sound being over amplified and distorted; with that installed, I am getting pretty decent sound quality using an inexpensive JVC mechless HU and otherwise completely stock Bose system.

I'm sure the Millennium speakers sound great and are a huge improvement, as were my Clearwaters back in the day... I just feel that sometimes there are cheaper and easier solutions that may be 90% as effective. And note that because I'm in Canada, all the "reasonably-priced" options for my US brothers are twice the price. :(

PatrickGSR94

20th July 2020, 09:39

Nope, my HU was wired straight into the regular speaker wires in the harness, which went into the Bose amp, which is what caused the sound the be "double amplified". Since I bypassed the Bose amp the sound is so much cleaner with much more granular volume adjustment.

Any 6" speaker will work fine if you have an aftermarket HU and bypass the Bose amp. I just decided to go with 3rd Millenium since they also have the mounting rings and weather baffles to make the speaker hook up with the Miata door speaker screw holes.

orange260z

20th July 2020, 10:33

So this was another big weekend for the Miata.

I decided to take the plunge and buy replacement leather upholstery for my seats - the driver's one is cracked and has a number of tears, and both have very "hard" leather - I assume that's from age and UV exposure.

The downside is that I need to send my skins away for a few weeks. I didn't want to lose prime driving season, I picked up a set of cloth seats to use in the meantime. Actually, I picked up 3 cloth seats - a passenger and two drivers.

The pair I bought together were likely in a car that saw some winter use - both seat pans and mounts are moderately to heavily corroded. The passenger seat cloth and foam are PERFECT, I don't know if this car saw much top-down weather. There is minimal fading on this pair. The driver seat backrest (including bolsters) is near-perfect; however, the seat bottom cushion has a large wear spot in the middle that is fully worn through.
The bolsters have minimal wear, but the vinyl on the sides is cracked and torn. The foam inside was quite degraded. The drivers seat pan and sliders are going straight into the garbage due to corrosion.

I picked up a single driver's seat - the cloth is a little more faded, and the bottom cushion centre is pretty worn with a long tear - but the bolsters are in great shape. The backrest on this has some wear on the bolsters. The pan and sliders are in really good shape.

So I took the better driver's seat back and put into onto the better bottom/pan/slider, cleaned up the sliders for the pasenger seat, and dropped them into my car.

I then disassembled my leather seats - my first attempt ever at upholstery. YouTube was my friend.

The pans and sliders for my leather seats had minimal surface rust, except for the drivers front mounts - I can clean that up easily, and will de-rust and repaint these before installation.

The f%^&king hog rings almost killed me - it took me four hours of patient work to undo all the hog rings without damaging my foams. My hand was a useless, swollen claw on Saturday night from all the plier work - an ice pack, two extra-strength Tylenols and two extra-strength Advils along with a glass (or two) of single-malt scotch helped.

The reward was that my foams appear to be in fantastic shape, and are ready for re-use. I didn't damage the metal bars embedded in the foam.

I will rebuild using hog rings rather than zip-ties - I think the hog rings will increase durability, and may allow me to have a tighter installation. I will invest in the good Knipex hog-ring pliers for the reinstallation - they will cost me $60 more than the cheap ones, but if they save aggravation they will be worth it.

orange260z

20th July 2020, 10:40

Yeah, the way it was wired was your issue. If you had used the LOC your results would have been very different, and maybe you wouldn't have needed to replace speakers. I bought my HU, LOC, faceplate and wiring harness from Crutchfield as a package.

Do you find that the new speakers are giving you as much bass? I think that the Bose setup is pretty good that way, I doubt you'd get that much from a "standard" 6.5" speaker and HU amplification. This is where the rabbit hole starts - external digital mini-amps, subwoofers, etc. :eek:

2002tiitomx5

20th July 2020, 12:54

This is how my day is going. At least all three are out with no damage. Thank god.

You are lucky. Those screws are so soft it's a given you will damage them taking them out.

PatrickGSR94

20th July 2020, 17:45

The bass on my old original Bose speakers sounded very distorted and gross. Bass sounds much cleaner with the new speakers. In my opinion, a LOC is a "band-aid" way of doing things. I much prefer the amplified signal from the much newer head unit straight to the new speakers, over a 20 year old amplifier with those weird reverse cone speakers.

96Formula6spd

20th July 2020, 22:15

Ordered the rest of the parts for it. $450 for both a mazda order and a rock auto order. Also jacked it up and the drivers side axle moved after 283k. So I am good to replace the wheel bearing in it. So many new parts and three weeks to get it all back together for Nccar time trial. Only thing left to get is some pipe to delete the cat.

OH3Cobra

21st July 2020, 09:56

Anybody have these on their NB's? Like them - wondering about looks and function

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=CAD4szfMWX7iOEpqC_AO717vQCPCtq5hVt7OdzvwJ5dyDvA MQASDx4fwFYMm2rIj0o8AQoAG_4uzjA8gBCagDAcgDSqoE6QFP 0Le-BlbFhzbBBDUnoJH4L-iE3f*ckRWOdycdffihwaYDN4dsLSvryHxsuD7d5nNLwXxHpqTBZ 4nIQxZUxdQQTj-PG0fyxOYyVr-LPDEMIPUbyBZ5Y6qegP6qoIwlZIqm3eFUUnCiaUcyOI_5aGyOX eizG6TQHMRTSar9fROufiov1s8Q8EmD6bHvN5zrINWoRFCZ6oQ JYVKrrerbNeWknMmq5Qb4_KQH-c4JVJkqRngv3LY_X18vPdfcmaWR0qyOUqzofyblMO7DNpraG7M hrLAdn-sG0ytnZZEDw7uXfeNA_TjyiTAXLQMAEsojbo60B-gUGCCUQARgAkAYBoAYugAepnZMciAcBkAcCqAeOzhuoB5PYG6g HugaoB_DZG6gH8tkbqAemvhuoB-zVG6gH89EbqAfs1RuoB5bYG6gHwtob2AcAwAgB0ggGCAAQAhga gAoBkAsDmAsByAsBgAwB2BMC&ae=1&num=1&cid=CAMSeQClSFh3UQzcE-GlzgV_0REHzxuqfZ5CcyGmrxMB8vpB5suRzfksBvV7PTLbuC-NkSwmri3LuC_YzN-4vhUOphXrA6RbNJMMTlcf4aiXMt0zwTVOzaXRiYM1oyp1kL9fM 25JbljoQQl3uA280sY8SfP8lno6jWARr74&sig=AOD64_3dD9tPBSlrfsMm0kWrydM82iUlPA&client=ca-pub-3938341880473039&adurl=https://mossmiata.com/air-splitters-by-track-dog-racing%3F289%3D2590%26336%3D3046%26aid%3D279%26utm _source%3Dfeed%26utm_medium%3Dfree%26utm_campaign% 3Dshopping%26gclid%3DCj0KCQjwpNr4BRDYARIsAADIx9xFK fv7wOxutbXykmWDJzLd-QqU3sHm_X_I6ZoQET_DRTWbBoJBoGQaAuT6EALw_wcB

UncleJ

22nd July 2020, 17:51

Lost sound on the left side.
Traced line. One section worn clean through (vibration?) and another loose.
Pulled the 8" Focal out. Re-drilled its mounting holes (just 2 actually). Used rubber grommets for washers with new screws. Re-mounted.

Success.

JohnPatrick

23rd July 2020, 05:39

Replaced the air vents on my 2000 SE with the Jeep vents - bought off eBay for $50. The advice on this forum was very helpful and while it took a little work, the vents popped out without damage to anything. It's been hot as Hades here and the airflow coming through the Jeep vents seems greatly improved, plus I can close off the far passenger vent and get more air on me. Well worth the small investment in time and money!!!

amalloy

23rd July 2020, 13:08

Went on a little bit of a shopping spree today. Ordered a MiataRoadster shifter, new Redline shifter and ebrake boots, new Revlimiter gauges, and a Works Bell steering wheel hub to get my Momo steering wheel installed. Next week will be fun.

Jitsuka

23rd July 2020, 13:16

Anybody have these on their NB's? Like them - wondering about looks and function.
https://mossmiata.com/air-splitters-by-track-dog-racing
Looks great, but functionally just about redundant. Most aero fitted to most cars is 99% appearance.

(Tidied up the horrible, tracker filled URL for you.)

tclax1998

23rd July 2020, 13:28

I just finished replacing the clutch on my 2002 SE, and there is now a loud rattling noise from the transmission. Ive checked the exhaust and it doesnt seem to be leaking. The rattle is constant in neutral and in gear, unless accelerating up to about 4000rpms then starts rattling again. Ive read some that I could maybe be a throw out bearing or low transmission fluid. Im really just hoping I dont have to pull he trans out again.

Gort

23rd July 2020, 14:55

Anybody have these on their NB's? Like them - wondering about looks and function

Foggy froggy

23rd July 2020, 17:24

Brought car home yesterday, and had to poke around before my inaugural drive. Have to feel confident before I go afar. While poking around, and making sure everything is buttoned down, I noticed much debris behind the aft part of the front fenders. Here goes my OCD.

StreetAndTrackToy

23rd July 2020, 17:38

You are lucky. Those screws are so soft it's a given you will damage them taking them out.

I know. I married one up when I was doing my timing belt and seals. Decided it was still good enough to install. That damage happened mostly when I tried to remove the other two. I have Phillips head screws coming from eBay though. It will be back on the road soon. Finished putting together caliper #3 today. Going to repaint all four when Im done since they got some bumps and bruises during rebuilding. 😭

PatrickGSR94

23rd July 2020, 19:24

Did you bolt up and tighten that exhaust downpipe clamp that bolts to the left side gearbox bellhousing bolts? I forgot to tighten the clamp bolt on mine, and when driving it worked its way loose and wedged in between the pipe and car body. It made a nasty rattling sound at certain RPM, but was an easy fix.

mm49061

24th July 2020, 12:55

I replaced the air vents in my 2000 with the Jeep Commander ones. I used the credit card method to remove the old vents and the Jeep ones popped right in. Took me less than 15 minutes to make the change and cost me just over $50 on eBay. The color is not an exact match but still a worthwhile mod.

ImageOmega

24th July 2020, 14:12

Gearbox and motor oil changed. Plugs and wires.

Removed the foglight assemblies. Thought this would be easy... F'ing rust. Over an hour later I didn't have time to test the wiring and hook up the replacements.

Got in some sun visor plugs with LED lights, which will wire into the middle light. Excited to get that done for some actual interior lighting when needed.

...Found oil on the bottom of the tranny while I was under there. Cleaned it up good and fingers crossed its just a product of the terrible oil filter placement, though I doubt my luck is that good.

Thunder_Ruler

24th July 2020, 17:05

Been watching my NB Miata from outside get rained on for the past week, hasn’t stopped raining and I’ve been itching to get some mileage on her.

Bought some noise canceling mats and a new passenger window motor. Hoping that next weekend would be a good time to work on her and install said mats along with tapping out a dent in the door.

Fiata '99

24th July 2020, 17:36

Drove it to the farmer's market, then out in the countryside. Perfect day for it.

FDB7

25th July 2020, 00:00

I mocked up a radiator cowl for my NB. Im planning to make one out of sheet metal or some type of foam or plastic sheet soon. My NBs running a little hot here in the Cali summer and Im trying cheap options to help before expensive ones.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200725/8e9b6a8944903059a7948fb48f6b57a9.jpg

huskydog

25th July 2020, 06:28

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200725/8e9b6a8944903059a7948fb48f6b57a9.jpgI was having the same issues with my 2k se in previous years, especially on the eastbound hill on 50 just past Bidwell. I'm in Shingle Springs. I went with a double row aluminum radiator and OEM cap. The difference was night and day.

Obviously Tyler

25th July 2020, 11:06

Working on an engine project for my 99.

I bought a VVT engine from the UK with about 70k miles. And a second NB1 head locally with a MSM intake cam already installed. So I've got 2.5 engines.

I'm currently tearing down and refreshing the VVT bottom end with plans to mate the upgraded NB1 head to it. The frankenstein build, or so it's called. I just received all the new OEM gaskets and seals today so tomorrow starts the reassembly. I'm not doing anything with the internals.

I plan to reuse most accessories from my stock motor and set that one aside for a future project down the road. My stock engine currently burns more oil than gas, and this was honestly a cheaper project than a full rebuild. It's an opportunity for me to learn as well.

FDB7

25th July 2020, 14:45

I was having the same issues with my 2k se in previous years, especially on the eastbound hill on 50 just past Bidwell. I'm in Shingle Springs. I went with a double row aluminum radiator and OEM cap. The difference was night and day.

Youre pretty close to me! Im in Folsom. I want to go with an aluminum radiator if a 70/30 mix with water wetter doesnt help. Which radiator did you go with?

huskydog

25th July 2020, 15:09

Youre pretty close to me! Im in Folsom. I want to go with an aluminum radiator if a 70/30 mix with water wetter doesnt help. Which radiator did you go with?I got the CSF.

sharp3y3

25th July 2020, 15:44

Changed the Valve case gasket on my 2001 Miata with a Mazda BP6D-10-663. No more leaks!

You’re pretty close to me! I’m in Folsom. I want to go with an aluminum radiator if a 70/30 mix with water wetter doesn’t help. Which radiator did you go with?

All my summer cars get 70:30 water to coolant. Works wonders. But I make sure to never drive them in temps around freezing point. I also went with a Mishimoto, while it works great the cap leaked and the fitment took some massaging.

FDB7

25th July 2020, 15:48

I got the CSF.

Damn thats too expensive for me. Im probably gonna go with an ebay option or a CSF auto Miata radiator from Rock Auto.

FDB7

25th July 2020, 16:00

Where Im at a 70/30 will work fine all year round. According to a chart online the freezing point of a 70/30 mix is 10*F. The lowest it gets here is around 30*F so thats fine for me. My car is also garage kept.
I would like a Mishimoto but its too far out of my price range.

petee_c

25th July 2020, 19:13

I've been working on installing a used 2001 Ac system in a 2000....

Made 3 trips to the store for misc bits...

Of note, the system I bought had the on wire missing from the compressor so I had to remedy that.

Also was missing one of 3 m8 x 1. 25 x80mm bolts that mount the compressor to the bracket on the motor so I had to make one from a 4" long 5/16 bolt. The tsc store's longest m8 bolt was only 60mm long....

I re-threaded and cut off the extra from the imperial bolt.... Compressor now mounted.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200725/04afd739d02bdec1f1f70d27ce0b2093.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200725/0a886007f39c42aa88f6207704f6faae.jpg

matt.keith7

26th July 2020, 20:18

Put the ac belt on for the first time since the engine swap. Im glad it blows cold. Popped in the Jeep commander ac vents I got from the junk yard for $15!!

PatrickGSR94

27th July 2020, 11:19

Second oil change yesterday since purchasing my NB1 one year ago last week. I did a Blackstone Labs UOA with the oil that was in the engine when I first bought it, so I'll be interested to see what a UOA shows after a year of my usual Mobil1 0w-30. In that year I only put about 4,800 miles on the car.

Went through the passenger fender well for the oil filter this time, instead of from above like last time. Much easier, although setup time with the jack stands is a pain, vs. using ramps. Mess on the subframe from the oil filter as usual. Wish there was a better way besides relocating the oil filter, which I might do if the engine ever gets pulled out for whatever reason.

SquarePeg

27th July 2020, 11:26

Run it up on the ramps. Loosen the lug nuts, and jack up the passenger side enough to slip the ramp out. Place a stand temporarily in place. Remove the nuts and tire. Reverse the procedure, after you finish with the filter.
It'll add less than a minute if the stuff is handy.:)

PatrickGSR94

27th July 2020, 11:42

Ah, maybe I'll try that next year. I had it up on 4 jack stands just for an oil change. :p

MiataBee

27th July 2020, 12:33

Ah, maybe I'll try that next year. I had it up on 4 jack stands just for an oil change. :p

I just take the opportunity to rotate the tires while its on jack stands.

PatrickGSR94

27th July 2020, 13:16

I just take the opportunity to rotate the tires while its on jack stands.

no can do, have different tires on rear vs. front (bought it that way), and the rears are directional. Next set will be all matching. These were nearly new so I'm just leaving them for the time being.

amptramp

27th July 2020, 15:44

Got and installed the license plate stickers for the year. CAN$120 for each car for the year. Last year they were pink. This year they are green.

petee_c

27th July 2020, 16:07

Got a used 2001 AC system working in a 2000 Miata. It was a struggle, but almost there....

Vent temps at 67F, ambient is 88F... need to troubleshoot some more stuff, and then fully charge it.

MiataBee

27th July 2020, 19:16

I put a used cobalt midpipe on my NB1. I tried using Ultra Copper gasket maker to keep the joint from leaking but it still leaks a little. I also discovered I havent been jacking up my car properly. I was following a guide that said to put jack stands under the corrugated points, but I noticed today that the metal is still bending there and opening the drain holes wider. Ive switched to putting the front stands under the subframe.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200727/6338ceac2f949c4936e6a9976ac89c46.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200727/2129c098e446365b7f05cfe38c8c305e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200727/7fea105aa0d4ffd3effb5051baac3702.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200727/f38b430fe9f62b1c2843970a8dc0838d.jpg

FDB7

27th July 2020, 21:34

I put my jack stands on the pinch welds where I jack the car up from. Is this wrong? It seems to work fine.

DMac

27th July 2020, 22:08

Installed these gauges in preparation for my turbo build. The wiring and the vacuum line on the gauge end is all done. I have my boost gauge lit up via the dimmer wires.

A search hasn’t helped me a lot, but any idea where I should run the ground for my AFR gauge? I’ve read it should be grounded to the ECU ground for the most accurate reading. I’m not sure where this is on my 2003 NB2. I’ll be using this gauge only for checking to see if my piggyback voodo box from Flying Miata is working right (since I’ll still have the stock ECU and it’ll be hooked up to the stock narrow band O2 sensor as well).

https://i.postimg.cc/GtdpPFG5/42-BAB459-0-F3-D-47-DC-B3-B5-8-E30-E906306-C.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

monkeylizard

27th July 2020, 23:27

I put my jack stands on the pinch welds where I jack the car up from. Is this wrong? It seems to work fine.

It's fine, until it's not. The pinch welds are pretty strong, but if the weight shifts much off center they'll fold over. The factory jack is slotted and fits around the pinch weld, so lots of people thing that's the lift point. But if you look closely you'll see that the factory jack actually makes contact with the corrugated patch. That's the actual engineered lift point.

Since it's nigh impossible to lift from that patch using a floor jack without a slotted jack puck with part of it shaved off to not contact the outer side of the pinch weld, I use the cross member of the sub frame right behind the oil pan to lift the front, and place jack stands on the corrugated patches. The grooves in the under body plastic aero panel "point" directly at the lift point. I lift the rear from the diff housing and then place the rear stands on the rear corrugated patches.

If I ever get around to investing in a Quick Jack, I'll get the right slotted blocks and lift at the corrugated spots by the welds.

caverunner17

28th July 2020, 00:12

Finished the timing belt, water pump, radiator, hoses and seals job on Saturday. 50 miles later, no leaks, drips or anything. Took 3 weeks with quite a few heart attacks along the way.

Great learning experience though!

MiataBee

28th July 2020, 09:17

If I ever get around to investing in a Quick Jack, I'll get the right slotted blocks and lift at the corrugated spots by the welds.

This was my method until I noticed the metal bending at the front corrugated patches. The problem might be that Im using 6 ton jacks with wide contact points. When the front is up and the back is still down, only the edge of the jack stand contacts the car and its lined up with the edge of the corrugated part, if not slightly behind it. Since I now already have damage there, Ill stick with the subframe where the lower control arm attaches for now.

FDB7

28th July 2020, 14:29

If I ever get around to investing in a Quick Jack, I'll get the right slotted blocks and lift at the corrugated spots by the welds.

Ahh thank you. I have a small clunky jack and it wont fit under the front subframe when the car is on the ground so I have to jack from the pinch welds at the side. That makes putting my jack stands there impossible since the jack itself takes up too much room. I should probably invest in a low profile jack from HF.

MiataBee

28th July 2020, 14:56

Pulling up on some pieces of wood can help too. My car doesnt clear a low profile jack either.

PatrickGSR94

28th July 2020, 15:08

I have the 3-ton low profile HF jack and it's been awesome. Even gets under my Integra which is really low. I used to have to pull up on the front fenders with my hands to be able to slip my old floor jack under the side jack point on that car, but not anymore.

I use the FM slotted jack puck to lift the whole side of the Miata at one time. I lift it from the side pinch weld, right under each door mirror. Makes getting the car up on 4 jack stands a snap.

monkeylizard

28th July 2020, 18:12

I have a fat pig of a Craftsman floor jack, but I also have ramps. I pull up on the ramps then use the floor jack to left the rear from the diff, place the rear jack stands on the corrugated patches, then lift the front from the subframe behind the oil pan and set the front jack stands.

Every time I do it I think "quit being a cheap jerk and go get some QuickJacks!". Then a few days later I think "that wasn't so bad and you don't have to do it very often....don't get the QuickJacks". . . . Then the next time I need to lift it . . . . you know the rest.

narimiran

29th July 2020, 14:26

I needed to change the thermostat and this happened:

https://i.imgur.com/mydsTht.jpg

In contrast to NA Miatas which have a horizontal thermostat housing (https://imgur.com/NLMLdco), on NB Miatas it is vertical (https://imgur.com/dljbHH9), which means the thermostat can slip a bit when you try to tighten this thingy in the photo (marked as (1) in the diagram on the second link). And when it does slip, the pressure will be only on one part and not on the whole area, leading to this.

We found it out only when we started to put coolant, and it started to leak massively from the thermostat housing. Fun times.

amalloy

29th July 2020, 15:02

Installed my new RevLimiter Revolver gauges and white LED lights, the upgrade is well worth it.

Also tried to install my Works Bell steering wheel hub, and it pretty much disintegrated before I even hit 20 ft lbs on my torque wrench. The company I bought it from likely won't exchange it so it looks like I have a cool new paperweight now. :rolleyes:

FDB7

29th July 2020, 15:05

I needed to change the thermostat and this happened:

https://i.imgur.com/mydsTht.jpg

We found it out only when we started to put coolant, and it started to leak massively from the thermostat housing. Fun times.

I saw you on reddit haha.

narimiran

29th July 2020, 15:09

I saw you on reddit haha.

Yeah, I need to vent a bit so I'm sharing it around to ease my sorrow....

monkeylizard

29th July 2020, 21:45

I needed to change the thermostat and this happened:

I did the exact same thing back in January and like you I didn't notice until filling with coolant. I ended up putting a very thin layer of blue RTV on the gasket. That held it all in place while positioning the new thermostat housing. Fortunately those are fairly cheap parts. $25-30'ish if I recall correctly at my local stealership. I didn't want to pay shipping and wait for Priority.

Miotta

30th July 2020, 16:52

Pulled off the bumper and installed Hella Supertones. What a difference!

FDB7

30th July 2020, 23:49

Got a new passenger taillight and uhh... yeah.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200731/1cf64ddaf1bf0d781ff71050849c46f4.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200731/e8b24401bf3f252ab1f0764aaba933b8.jpg

Anybody in the Sacramento area want to trade? Lol.

944play

31st July 2020, 00:25

Got a new passenger taillight and uhh... yeah.

My new-used driver's side taillight has the same darker, amber-rather-than-yellow cast as your (original, I take it?) driver's side. My car is VIN #3203 so pretty early production. I guess later cars got the duller colored lenses.

I didn't notice for months after I put mine in, so rest assured that no one else can tell, or care. But yes, you aren't crazy and someone might have a matching dull right or bright left if you care enough. :dunno:

FDB7

31st July 2020, 03:51

Yeah I think the drivers side is the original one. And funny enough my previously broken passenger side taillight also had the yellow instead of amber/orange and I never noticed it until I went to swap it out. So its safe to say I dont care if I dont find someone to trade with. And besides, it gives my car some character! :P

PatrickGSR94

31st July 2020, 09:02

Mine had the more yellow signal on the driver side when I got it. I swapped it out with another one from eBay, so I still may have the "yellower" driver side light, if you want them both matching your right side lens.

MiataBee

31st July 2020, 12:10

Yesterday I spent some time testing the movement of the temperature gauge stock and according to the modification by KiwiNB. These are some animations of the pictures I took. My camera consistency got better as I went, so the animation created by Google Photos also got better.

Stock
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200731/4d24578d87f25b7a3b46fae4f3355fe3.jpg

Modified
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200731/b2eb94d6ab021d86a0438520a895bb06.jpg

Modified with Revlimiter 10AE Gauge
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200731/853a551f8ba958ced9d25448d556d4de.jpg

MiataBee

31st July 2020, 12:13

Double post

amalloy

31st July 2020, 14:32

Got a new passenger taillight and uhh... yeah.

Anybody in the Sacramento area want to trade? Lol.

Same thing happened to me when I got a replacement last year. I wasn't too happy. I'm sure nobody would ever really notice it though.

PatrickGSR94

31st July 2020, 14:42

Same thing happened to me when I got a replacement last year. I wasn't too happy. I'm sure nobody would ever really notice it though.

shoot I noticed mine immediately when I got the car home after driving it 150 miles back from where I purchased it. Definitely enough to bug me, so I go a replacement off eBay, or maybe from The Parts Group, can't remember.

narimiran

31st July 2020, 16:00

I needed to change the thermostat and this happened:

https://i.imgur.com/mydsTht.jpg

We found it out only when we started to put coolant, and it started to leak massively from the thermostat housing. Fun times.

After the fiasco with the thermostat change the other day, today I got new front thermostat cover and managed to finish the job successfully.

This concludes my initial post-buy service which I did over last week, consisting of changing engine oil, transmission fluid, differential fluid, replacing my olive-green radiator with a new one, replacing the old non-OEM thermostat with a new OEM one, and changing coolant (1:2 mix with water).

monkeylizard

31st July 2020, 17:31

Congrats!

Double check that your ratio will give you the right freeze protection for your climate. 1:2 is going to give you 33.3%/66.6%. That's good to about 0F/-18C, assuming more water than coolant. A straight 50/50 1:1 ratio will protect down to about -40F/-40C.

http://www.erareplicas.com/427man/engine/antifreeze.htm

wee_dod

31st July 2020, 19:37

Started a water/meth install...

StreetAndTrackToy

1st August 2020, 15:42

Sweet. They finally showed up after 11 days from Arizona. Thanks USPS. 😡 Hopefully I can work on it next week and get it done. 👍

FDB7

1st August 2020, 15:55

Sweet. They finally showed up after 11 days from Arizona. Thanks USPS. [emoji35] Hopefully I can work on it next week and get it done. [emoji106]

Damn. Cant you just find screws like that from any hardware store?

cduplain

1st August 2020, 17:01

^^
I'm wondering about these special screws, as well.

bogey

1st August 2020, 17:02

Steering wheel mounting screws?

StreetAndTrackToy

1st August 2020, 17:41

Damn. Cant you just find screws like that from any hardware store?

Didnt even head down there. Probably could have. Havent driven the car in close to two years so it didnt bother me that bad. They came from Arizona and I couldnt work on it here at the shop in Bonita all week since I had to work in Naples. They are VVT sprocket bolt cover screws. I couldve bought them from Mazda again but they are torx and very soft.

Henryineg

1st August 2020, 19:55

New coco mats (blue and natural) and Clearwater Bose speakers. Good looks and good sounds!

96Formula6spd

1st August 2020, 23:09

Got the front bushings in as well as the new upper control arms and extended lower ball joints. Man 40k of autox/track abuse really killed these oem bushings. Tomorrows its the rear bushings, oil change. Just got to order some new alignment bolts as they are in sad shape.

FDB7

2nd August 2020, 01:28

I finally finished making my DIY radiator cowl! I know, its not as pretty as the expensive ones, but hey, it gets the job done! (I hope)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200802/471e1bce11bc166a5607cbac2613c3f3.jpg

narimiran

2nd August 2020, 10:32

I finally finished making my DIY radiator cowl! I know, its not as pretty as the expensive ones, but hey, it gets the job done!

Sorry for this basic question, but: what exactly is the job of a radiator cowl? Not letting (warm?) air going up before the radiator?

FDB7

2nd August 2020, 10:52

Sorry for this basic question, but: what exactly is the job of a radiator cowl? Not letting (warm?) air going up before the radiator?

It forces more air to go into the radiator instead of escaping through the holes which are covered up by the cowl.

PatrickGSR94

3rd August 2020, 08:57

Probably could have found the same thing here, both Phillips and Torx. I have a bunch of their fasteners in and around my Miata. They've been great to deal with on the several orders I've done with them.

https://www.belmetric.com/metric-screws-c-10.html

doyle3433

3rd August 2020, 09:43

Install of my new Cipher wheel. Easy install, no airbag mishap. (waited a full 10 min. after taking neg. lead off).
Thanks Goodwin!

StreetAndTrackToy

3rd August 2020, 12:06

https://www.belmetric.com/metric-screws-c-10.html

Yeah, them or McMaster. I bought all of my valve cover hardware from McMaster already. I even went as far as replacing the baffle screws to tiny low profile socket head screws.

Terminator03

3rd August 2020, 13:22

Install of my new Cipher wheel. Easy install, no airbag mishap. (waited a full 10 min. after taking neg. lead off).
Thanks Goodwin!

Very nice looking wheel! If my wife wasnt so attached to the look of the mahogany wheel on my SE, Id buy one of those for pure functionality ;)

FDB7

3rd August 2020, 13:59

Very nice looking wheel! If my wife wasnt so attached to the look of the mahogany wheel on my SE, Id buy one of those for pure functionality ;)

I can see why your wife is so attached to the wooden wheel. Its amazing and I wouldnt replace it for anything!

Soraia

3rd August 2020, 15:22

I have touched a 2001 SE with wooden wheel, brake handle, and shifter.
It was pure organic feel to them. Much better than laminated wood shifter and panels from my E91 BMW. Wood ply changes the surface heat for sure, but ACTUAL solid wood? That's a whole new level.

doyle3433

3rd August 2020, 16:08

My SE had a pretty nice looking leather wheel. black leather with the brown leather at three and nine o'clock. I like this as it retained the airbag and is thicker.
I have wooden wheel, shift knob on the Triumph and love the look. There's something about the feel of a wooden steering wheel.

FDB7

5th August 2020, 11:48

I put in my eBay aluminum radiator with an approximate 70/30 mix and Redline Water Wetter. The temps dropped from 225*F to 200*F with ambient temps of ~100*F while really pushing the car! Im just interested to see how long it lasts.
Also, I dont recommend this if you like quick and easy installs. It took me about 3-4 hours because it couldnt get it to clear the darn AC condenser. It was a HUGE pain in the ass, but I consider it well worth it.

340019

PatrickGSR94

5th August 2020, 13:45

Did you have to trim stuff? My car came with a janky slim driver side fan, and a hole nearly worn in the upper radiator hose from touching the passenger side fan. I got an OEM driver side fan from the junk yard, but had to trim it to clear the A/C lines. Then I trimmed the passenger side fan to clear the radiator hose. And yeah it was kind of a pain.

FDB7

5th August 2020, 14:05

I had to trim both fan shrouds in a whole bunch of places, such as around the AC hard lines and the PS hard lines. I also had to remove the bracket holding the AC line and the other big line under the sway bar. And not to mention, I removed the rubber grommets on the AC condenser bolts and hammered the brackets forward to tilt the condenser.

bogey

5th August 2020, 14:54

This is why the extra fat radiators are not recommended. The 36mm koyo is the thickest radiator I would ever recommend. There is little reason to use the three row models. It's just extra weight.

FDB7

5th August 2020, 15:30

This is why the extra fat radiators are not recommended. The 36mm koyo is the thickest radiator I would ever recommend. There is little reason to use the three row models. It's just extra weight.

I agree. I could barely get this 2 row to fit in and a 3 row would just be way too difficult to get in with OEM fans. And Id imagine that a 3 row is only maybe necessary when you have a FAT turbo and you live in like Arizona or something. But then again a coolant reroute with a 2 row should be plenty for that kind of application.

PatrickGSR94

5th August 2020, 16:59

My car already had some no-name aluminum 2-row radiator installed when I bought it, so I'm just running with it and the OEM fans with stock coolant route. Seems to work well. Even on the hottest days we've had I haven't seen temps get up over 200 while driving, and not even over 205 while sitting such as in a drive-thru line.

I'm not sure if a previous owner tilted my AC condenser or not.

MiataBee

5th August 2020, 17:20

Im a fan of two row aluminum like the CSF. Looks good and works well. I only had the bend the ac condenser bracket slightly on one side and trim a small section out of the fan shroud for power steering line.

jerpberp

6th August 2020, 09:50

Roasted my Cali-spec pre-cat about 6 weeks ago when my ignition coil failed for cylinders 2 and 3. Finally finished the install of a GWR header and midpipe to go with the RS4 muffler I already had.

I'm not the most experienced with cars and I knew it was going to be louder, but I wasn't quite prepared for how loud is was going to be! There's a drone now between 1700-3200 RPM that wasn't there before and I'm debating how to approach it, plus I can feel the sound vibrations ringing in my ears. Next project!

Terminator03

6th August 2020, 13:23

Thats weird because I just installed a CSF myself maybe a month or so ago, and I didnt need to cut anything! Didnt really even need to bend the AC line bracket as some have mentioned either. The ONLY mod I had to do was to use some extra washers under a couple of the shroud bolts because they were too long and bottomed out in the blind holes on the radiator. I couldve cut them, or got shorter bolts, but the stock ones were in perfect condition, and I didnt feel like running out for a couple of bolts just to finish the install. It was also a lot easier to add the washers (which I had a bunch of stainless ones anyway) rather than cutting and rechamfering threads.

MiataBee

6th August 2020, 15:13

Ive heard of others that didnt need to move the AC condenser at all. Luckily I didnt have to move it very far. I thought the power steering lines were pretty commonly in the way, but it sounds like some cars have a little more room than others. I also used washers for the fan shroud.

Kmier

7th August 2020, 05:53

My experience, as well, about 2 years ago. Just a little tug on the condenser, if I recall.

Terminator03

7th August 2020, 13:29

My experience, as well, about 2 years ago. Just a little tug on the condenser, if I recall.

Yep, not enough to even mention. Id say that the CSF is as close to being a straight drop in replacement as you can find, especially in the performance realm.:thumbs:

amalloy

7th August 2020, 16:02

Installed my final mods of the year after my replacement steering wheel hub came today. I need to do quite a bit of maintenance this fall so this is the end of the fun stuff this season.

-MiataRoadster short shifter
-Redline Auto shift and ebrake boots
-Works Bell steering wheel hub
-Momo Champion steering wheel (temporary)
-RevLimiter Rocket Doge horn button
-RevLimiter Revolver gauges

FDB7

7th August 2020, 16:38

Installed my final mods of the year after my replacement steering wheel hub came today. I need to do quite a bit of maintenance this fall so this is the end of the fun stuff this season.

Nice! Post some pics when its all done!

dbrich

8th August 2020, 17:14

Changed the Stant superstat thermostat that was installed with my supermiata Qmax coolant reroute. The Qmax thermostat began sticking after about a 16 months, I started getting a CEL coolant flowing below 180°. Replaced with the same thermostat sold by Supermiata. You have to move the EGR tube back out of the way to change the thermostat. I loosened the coupling on the header side and removed the 2 nuts on the intake side to get the room I needed. Its great to have the bleed on the top to remove air from the system. Used 4 qts distilled water, 2 qts prestone, 1/2 of 12 oz bottle of water wetter. Finished topping w/water. This is with a turbocharger.

Fowlfixr57

9th August 2020, 11:16

Fixed the badly-dragging passenger window. I didn't have any of the special Mazda grease that people use so I just cleaned up the tracks and used some GP automotive grease. Took the vapor barrier completely off, what a @#!!&?? sticky nasty mess that thing is:eek:

Altogether not too difficult a job, had the whole passenger door apart at one point and it all went back together without too much drama and now the window goes up and down quickly and smoothly like it's supposed to.

Anytime you can fix something that's not correct and not spend a dime doing it it's a big win!

FDB7

9th August 2020, 14:27

Anytime you can fix something that's not correct and not spend a dime doing it it's a big win!

Both of my windows are super slow and I need to do this haha. But... Im afraid of taking the entire door apart and not have it go back together properly. [emoji51]

Terminator03

9th August 2020, 15:55

Both of my windows are super slow and I need to do this haha. But... Im afraid of taking the entire door apart and not have it go back together properly. [emoji51]

Mine too! Ive been meaning to do this since I bought the car, and still havent taken the time to do it!:rolleyes:

bperrybap

9th August 2020, 16:15

Both of my windows are super slow and I need to do this haha. But... I’m afraid of taking the entire door apart and not have it go back together properly. [emoji51]
It isn't that bad. No special tools are needed. It just takes some attention to details.

#1 take lots of photos of everything before you take it apart.
Some with the vapor barrier on and some once it is removed.
Including one with the window half way up where you can see the bolts that attach to the window to the regulator.
That way if something goes wrong, you can refer back to them.

I use a steak knife to slice along/through the tar to help get it loose.
Then I use some pieces of handiwrap to cover the tar on the door.
Just barely touch it in a few places as you don't want to have to deal with getting it all loose. The point of the handiwrap is to have something there to avoid any accidental touches from getting tar on your hands, tools, and in your hair.

Before taking any of the mechanicals apart I use a fine tip marker to outline all the bolts & nuts.
This ensures that they can be put back in the same location.
This will ensure to preserve the existing alignment of the channel & window.
Another tip is to mark one of the motor bolts so you know which way the motor goes when putting it back together. It is easy to get tripped on this since it's orientation will not show up in any of the photos.
I mark the circle around one nut and the tip of the bolt for that nut with a different color than the others.

On the 2000 (likely other years as well), it helps a bunch to remove the main door speaker as it makes removing and inserting the motor easier.

The one thing that I've tripped over pretty much each time I've had the doors apart is the tweeter wires. They are easy to forget and the way the wires run through the vapor barrier doesn't seem obvious to me.

--- bill

FDB7

9th August 2020, 16:33

It isn't that bad. No special tools are needed. It just takes some attention to details.

On the 2000 (likely other years as well), it helps a bunch to remove the main door speaker as it makes removing and inserting the motor easier.

--- bill

Thank you for this! It made me even more scared to attempt it! [emoji23]

But in all seriousness I think I might actually try this soon. I just need to remember to take my time since I have a bad habit of rushing things lol.

bperrybap

9th August 2020, 16:46

Thank you for this! It made me even more scared to attempt it! [emoji23]

But in all seriousness I think I might actually try this soon. I just need to remember to take my time since I have a bad habit of rushing things lol.

Other than manipulating the motor around during removal and installation, the only other area that is a real pain is the clips that are snapped into the door frame that hold the wires. Some clip to the front some from the back.
You need a decent pair of small needle nose pliers to be able to carefully squeeze it from the rear to get the clip to slide through the hole.
Some you can do with your fingernails but for most I couldn't.
You need to be a bit careful when you squeeze the clip since it must be done in the proper orientation to squeeze the two anchors.
You need to look closely at the clip as, at least to me, I often end up squeezing the wrong side, and if you squeeze too hard, it can damage the clip.

Trying to get your head up close to see the clip is when you can get your hair into the tar if it isn't covered by the handiwrap. (BTDT)

--- bill

FDB7

9th August 2020, 16:54

You need a decent pair of small needle nose pliers to be able to carefully squeeze it from the rear to get the clip to slide through the hole.

Some you can do with your fingernails but for most I couldn't.

You need to be a bit careful when you squeeze the clip since it must be done in the proper orientation to squeeze the two anchors.

You need to look closely at the clip as, at least to me, I often end up squeezing the wrong side, and if you squeeze too hard, it can damage the clip.

Trying to get your head up close to see the clip is when you can get your hair into the tar if it isn't covered by the handiwrap. (BTDT)

--- bill

Great tips! Thanks Bill. I think Ill attempt it now.

ImageOmega

9th August 2020, 18:51

Today marked my one month ownership anniversary. All the basic maintenance has been done, sunvisors removed w/led's in the blanks and the shifter rebuilt (F'ing two pressed blanks instead of only 1 in that turret..ahg). I've got a long way to go (suspension, timing belt, a 2-drip/week oil leak somewhere, softtop replacement) but decided to do some beautification today. For 20 years old, I think she cleaned up nice!

Tuesday I'm grabbing a roll bar (Bethania Garage just happens to be 1 hour away, sweet sweet savings on shipping). The Monday next I've got a pending deal on some ND wheels. They're 3 lbs heavier and I'm waffling about that, but I think with a new top it'll have this 2000 looking as new as ever.

This was wash, clay, cut compound, polish compound, wax.
https://forum.miata.net/vb/picture.php?albumid=5864&pictureid=27571

https://forum.miata.net/vb/picture.php?albumid=5864&pictureid=27570

https://forum.miata.net/vb/picture.php?albumid=5864&pictureid=27569

monkeylizard

9th August 2020, 18:52

I didn't have any of the special Mazda grease that people use

It's actually Honda's magical lubricant. Shin-Etsu silicone grease.

mike060

9th August 2020, 20:22

Clay barred, applied sealer, waxed, cleaned interior, getting it ready to sell. 2003 Club sport, very rare.

Buddy Fey

9th August 2020, 20:46

It isn't that bad. No special tools are needed. It just takes some attention to details.

--- bill

Are there any special guides or clips or things that commonly wear out or break to order before getting it all apart? Getting into mine soon, since the passenger window only goes halfway down.

bperrybap

10th August 2020, 01:10

Are there any special guides or clips or things that commonly wear out or break to order before getting it all apart? Getting into mine soon, since the passenger window only goes halfway down.
A few things can/do break. The window bushings can break apart. If broken, the bushing will need to be replaced.
They are easy to replace once the window is removed from the door. You can google around for videos.
I bought the moss ones but they didn't fit right on my wife's 2000 and I ended up re-using the factory original ones. There is a thread about it here on the forum.

The wires and cables for the window regulator motor and regulator are clipped to the frame. If a clip breaks or comes loose the wires or cables can get tangled in the regulator and not allow it to go all the way down.
It is possible that this is your issue.
If the clip is broken you still need to attach the wires or cable to the frame to keep it out of the way.
If you can't find a new clip, you should be able to use zip ties.

--- bill

Terminator03

10th August 2020, 07:32

A few things can/do break. The window bushings can break apart. If broken, the bushing will need to be replaced.
They are easy to replace once the window is removed from the door. You can google around for videos.
I bought the moss ones but they didn't fit right on my wife's 2000 and I ended up re-using the factory original ones. There is a thread about it here on the forum.

--- bill

Bill, thanks for all of your helpful tips! If I may ask though, what was wrong with the fitment of those Moss bushings on your wifes car? I ask because I have a 2000, and that was something I was planning to do if I went through the hassle of pulling them apart to clean and grease.

bperrybap

10th August 2020, 12:22

Bill, thanks for all of your helpful tips! If I may ask though, what was wrong with the fitment of those Moss bushings on your wife’s car? I ask because I have a 2000, and that was something I was planning to do if I went through the hassle of pulling them apart to clean and grease.

While they seem to "work" for some people, they really aren't made properly.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=637803
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=719878
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=706510

My guess that for those that have broken bushings, they are a dramatic improvement.
And for those that have welting that is not in good shape that they won't notice the misalignment with the seal.
For me, they were a non starter.
--- bill

MiataBee

10th August 2020, 14:55

Ive had a 2 ball as a shift knob in my 10AE for several months. Recently, I decided to learn how to make my own shift knobs and made a 10 ball. Fitting for the 10th anniversary.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200810/7e952de16080382d177b1f1087111709.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200810/e9333d7eeebe5d10f310c16c66fd4ca9.jpg

FDB7

10th August 2020, 14:56

Ive had a 2 ball as a shift knob in my 10AE for several months. Recently, I decided to learn how to make my own shift knobs and made a 10 ball. Fitting for the 10th anniversary.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200810/7e952de16080382d177b1f1087111709.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200810/e9333d7eeebe5d10f310c16c66fd4ca9.jpg

Oh my god thats amazing hahaha.

Rodan

10th August 2020, 17:53

I prefer a snooker ball to billiards for a shifter... the size is a little less cartoonish. More limited colors, though.

MiataBee

10th August 2020, 20:04

I prefer a snooker ball to billiards for a shifter... the size is a little less cartoonish. More limited colors, though.

Im not familiar with snooker balls. Ill check that out. Though I do like the feel of the billiards ball size.

Rodan

10th August 2020, 20:30

https://www.libertygames.co.uk/images/faqs/extended/7/american-v-british-pool-balls@2x.jpg

In situ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49507969817_1168c98234_c.jpg

Terminator03

10th August 2020, 20:43

https://www.libertygames.co.uk/images/faqs/extended/7/american-v-british-pool-balls@2x.jpg

In situ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49507969817_1168c98234_c.jpg

That looks like a perfect scale. I never heard that term snooker ball before, or knew that British billiards were different sized.

Terminator03

10th August 2020, 21:33

While they seem to "work" for some people, they really aren't made properly.

https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=637803
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=719878
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=706510

Thanks Bill, I just read all 3. Ill probably get the Rspeed ones since they come with the grease. I could design and machine my own since I have a lathe and a Bridgeport mill, but dont have that size of Delrin, so its cheaper to just buy a decently made set, which Im now convinced the Moss arent.;)

PatrickGSR94

11th August 2020, 10:04

hah that's amazing that the 10 billiard ball just happens to be a blue stripe, for a blue 10AE Miata!

What did you do to your NB today? [Archive] - Page 144 (2024)